Khalil Abu-Rayyan of Dearborn Heights, left, holding a gun, raises his index finger in a salute that federal prosecutors say that ISIS uses. (Photo: Government exhibit from Department of Justice prosecutors)

The sentencing for a Dearborn Heights man whom federal prosecutors say supported ISIS and talked about attacking a Detroit church has been postponed until later this month.

Khalil Abu Rayyan, 22, who pleaded guilty in September to two gun charges tied to marijuana use, was to be sentenced Monday on gun charges before Judge George Caram Steeh in U.S. District Court in Detroit. But the court ran out of time during statements made by attorneys in the case.

The courtroom was packed with family members and other supporters of Rayyan, who has not been charged with any terrorism crime, but with two gun charges. He entered the court in shackles, the hand portion of which was later removed during his court appearance.

Despite the inducement by the undercover FBI employees to commit extremist acts, “every time, he says: ‘No,'” Shanker said.

Shanker said that while Rayyan did make some statements previously expressing support for ISIS, he no longer does. Moreover, Shanker said, those statements are protected under the First Amendment.

Shanker also questioned whether Rayyan was being unfairly singled out for a tough sentence because he is of Arab descent. Rayyan was born to Palestinian immigrants from Jordan.

Shanker compared Rayyan’s case to that of Sebastian Gregerson, a white suspect from Detroit charged in a separate weapons case prosecutors are seeking to link to terrorism. Shanker said the maximum sentence in Gregerson’s case is lower than in Rayyan’s case, which he said is not as severe.

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